The Fields at the Base of Mt. Fuji Have Turned a Bright Pink, But It’s Not Cherry Blossoms

As Japan now rolls into the months of spring, the entire country is awash in pink. The nation’s love for the soft, pillowy cherry blossom trees knows no limits. You’ll find sakura-themed Starbucks coffees, Kit Kats, beauty accessories, and even beer. But around Mt. Fuji, locals are going crazy for a different pink flower, one so vibrant it makes the famous cherry trees look pale in comparison.

Slowly creeping over the open fields and rolling hills that surround the base of Mt. Fuji you’ll find one of Japan’s most specular flower shows. Known as shiba-sakura, these flowers are a type of low-lying moss phlox that come into full bloom during April and May.

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Contrasting with the clear blue surrounding skyline, green mountain ranges and the pure white snowcapped peak, this field of around 800,000 bright pink flowering plants looks incredible in photos, but truly have to be seen in real life to fully be appreciated.

In celebration of spring the blooming of the shiba-sakura, the Fuji Motosuko Resort will hold their 2018 Moss Phlox Shibazakura Festival between Saturday, April 14 to Sunday, May 27. The resort is open for access between 8am until 5pm daily, when you can stroll through the resort’s swirling fields of five different variations of the moss, each representing a different hue of pink. Admission is 600 yen (US$5.65) for adults and 250 yen (US$2.35) for children.

The best time to get there depends on the season, but typically the flowers are at their best during the first week or so of May. Also, to avoid the crowds, plan to avoid visiting during the weekend or over the Golden Week national holiday period.

The park is located in the Fuji Five Lakes area, a few kilometers south of Lake Motosuko, making it a great place to plan a day trip if you have a little extra time up your sleeve.

To get there via public transport, you’ll have to catch a bus. From Tokyo Station, head to Kawaguchiko Station on the JR Chuo Line; from there you can hop aboard the Shibazakura Liner shuttle bus, which connects the station to the venue site. If you get this bus, you can grab a 2,000 yen (US$18) ticket that gets you admission to the resort and a return trip to and from the station.

Alternatively, there is a local bus that travels between Fujisan Station, Kawaguchiko Station, Lake Motosuko, and Shin-Fuji Station and stop near the venue. If travelling by car, there’s paid onsite parking available. For more information, visit the website.